New guidelines are coming as the pandemic appears to be deepening in the US in 34 states
The new coronavirus can spread through the air to people who are more than 6 feet away from an infectious person, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Monday, in guidance that could raise new ones. challenges to reopen businesses and schools safely.
In an update to its website, the CDC said coronavirus can sometimes be spread through tiny particles that can linger in the air and infect people separated by distances previously considered safe. Many social distancing guidelines adopted by workplaces, restaurants, and stores advise people to stand at least 6 feet (1.8 meters) apart to avoid transmitting the pathogen that causes Covid-19.
“Today’s update acknowledges the existence of some published reports showing limited and rare circumstances in which people with Covid-19 infected others who were more than 6 feet away or shortly after the Covid-positive person -19 will leave an area, “the agency said in a press release.
The change comes after months of accumulating scientific evidence that Sars-CoV-2 can be transmitted through the air at greater distances than was understood in the early stages of the pandemic. There have been indications that the CDC was moving toward updating its guide. Last month, he published and later deleted a guide on airborne transmission, which he later described as a draft published in error.
The new guidance comes as the pandemic appears to be deepening in the U.S. In 34 states, the seven-day average of new cases is higher than a month ago, and a virus outbreak at the White House seems to be widening. At the same time, schools are reopening, states like Florida have lifted restrictions on restaurants and other businesses, and the arrival of cooler weather and holidays is expected to push more people to socialize indoors.
Ventilation problems
A recent archived version of the CDC’s website did not mention airborne transmission, emphasizing that the main way the virus spreads is through close contact between people who are within six feet of each other, through respiratory droplets emitted when coughing, sneezing and talking. . He acknowledged that the virus can spread in other ways, including on contaminated surfaces.
The updated CDC site includes a section that acknowledges that virus particles are sometimes spread through the air as well, particularly in confined spaces with poor ventilation. Scientists believe that in these cases, the virus particles released into the air “became concentrated enough to spread the virus to other people,” sometimes even shortly after the infected person left.
The transmissions sometimes occurred when the infected person was breathing heavily, singing or exercising, the agency said.
Linsey Marr, an expert on airborne virus transmission at Virginia Tech, in a tweet called the update “an accurate and much-needed update that recognizes the spread through the air and the importance of masks at all times around others and ventilation “.
In an open letter in July, 239 scientists urged the World Health Organization to recognize the potential for airborne spread. A study of a meat plant suggested that under certain conditions the virus can travel 26 feet.
Recommendations unchanged
At a Senate hearing last month, CDC Director Robert Redfield acknowledged that there was evidence of airborne spread, but said that the CDC document that was removed had not been authorized for release by CDC staff. agency.
“I just want to emphasize to the American public and to everyone here that that document that was released was a draft, it had not been technically reviewed by the CDC,” Redfield said Sept. 23. He said the agency returned to the one that had been reviewed.
On Monday, the CDC reiterated that it is more common for the virus to spread through close contact with an infected person. The update does not change the CDC’s recommendations on how to protect against infection by wearing masks, staying 6 feet away, washing your hands, cleaning surfaces, and staying home when sick.
“The CDC’s recommendations remain the same based on existing science and after a thorough technical review of the guide,” the agency said in a press release sent to reporters Monday.
It’s unusual for the CDC to alert the media to changes to its guidelines, with updates being posted frequently on the agency’s website with little fanfare.
The agency did not immediately respond to an emailed question about whether the recognition would lead to changes in targeting for restaurants, businesses and other settings.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is posted from a syndicated feed.)
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